Protective hair styling device

ABSTRACT

A protective hairstyling device including a mitt-styled glove having a palm portion and a plurality of finger stalls or elements coupled to the palm portion. The palm portion includes a palmar side panel and a dorsal side panel, where the palmar side panel is coupled to the dorsal side panel along an outer periphery. Each finger element includes an inner finger panel and an outer finger panel, where the inner finger panel is coupled to the outer finger panel along an outer edge. The palmar side panel includes a series of nodules, and the inner finger panel of each finger element includes a series of prongs.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority under 35 USC §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/134,795, filed on Jan. 7, 2021, titled PROTECTIVE HAIR STYLING DEVICE, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention generally relates to a hair styling device, and more particularly, to a protective glove for styling hair.

BACKGROUND

When a person's hair is styled, for example, by a hairstylist, the hairstylist may use a detangler to detangle the person's hair to prepare it for styling. The hairstylist may also massage the person's scalp. Massaging during a shampoo and conditioner invigorates the scalp. Through stimulation, massaging the scalp creates better blood flow and circulation, which leads to hair growth. In addition, giving the scalp a good scrub cleanses and revives strands from roots to ends. Like a good facial massage, massaging the scalp also helps stimulate lymphatic drainage, which is essential for hair follicles to produce healthy hair. Massaging the scalp also provides gentle exfoliation, so dead skin cells don't accumulate and lead to dandruff. Also, it can help keep product buildup, pollution, and oils at bay and improve sebum production on dry scalps.

Hair is typically detangled and styled by a hair comb and/or hairbrush. A detangler or comb may also be used to apply hair color or dye to a person's hair. When, for example, a hairstylist shampoos or applies chemicals, gels, dyes, or other haircare products to a client's hair and scalp, the chemicals of the haircare products can damage the nails of the stylist. Thus, stylists tend to wear thin disposable gloves when attending to a client's hair. However, when a stylist wishes to massage a person's scalp, it is preferred to use the bare hand, which provides a more effective grip of the scalp than that of a person using gloves.

But due to a recent wave of communicable diseases, the activities of hairstylists have been severely restricted. For example, the recent SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has made it necessary to sanitize hairstyling instruments and equipment and limit contact between hairstylist and their clients in order to prevent the transmission of the infectious disease. Thus, detanglers, such as combs and hairbrushes, and other hair accessories must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between uses. It is also important for hairstylists to thoroughly clean their hands before handling hair to prevent the transmission as well.

To that end, hairstylists are now advised to wear gloves while using combs and hairbrushes to style hair because viruses may be transmitted from one's hands to a person's scalps. Similarly, hairstylists are advised to use gloves when massaging a person's scalp; however, gloves greatly reduce the massager's grip on a person's scalp, making the massage less effective.

A need therefore exists, for any effective way to both detangle and style a person's hair and massage their scalp in a safe manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A protective hairstyling device is provided. The device includes a mitt-styled glove having a palm portion and a plurality of finger stalls or elements coupled to the palm portion. The palm portion includes a palmar side panel and a dorsal side panel, where the palmar side panel is coupled to the dorsal side panel along an outer periphery. Each finger element includes an inner finger panel and an outer finger panel, where the inner finger panel is coupled to the outer finger panel along an outer edge. The palmar side panel includes a series of nodules, and the inner finger panel of each finger element includes a series of prongs.

The glove serves as an article of PPE that provides the wearer a protective means to style and massage a person's hair. The series of prongs may be used to detangle and style a person's hair. The series of nodules may be used to massage a person's scalp.

In some implementations, the series of nodules includes a thin sheet of material overlaying the palmar side panel and a plurality of nodes coupled to the sheet of material.

In some implementations, the series of prongs includes a thin sheet of material overlaying each finger element and a plurality of tooth-shaped bristles coupled to the sheet of material.

In some implementations, the height of the series of nodules has smaller dimensions than the height of the series of prongs.

In some implementations, the palm portion and the plurality of finger elements are made of any combination of breathable polyester, cloth, cotton, wool, leather, Kevlar, nylon, neoprene, latex.

In some implementations, the palm portion is configured to substantially cover and encapsulate the palm of a wearer's hand.

In some implementations, each finger element is configured to substantially cover and encapsulate a finger of the wearer's hand.

An article of personal protective equipment is also provided. The article includes a glove comprising a palm portion and a plurality of finger elements coupled to the palm portion. The palm portion includes a palmar side panel and a dorsal side panel attached to the palmar side panel along an outer periphery. Each finger element includes an inner panel and an outer panel attached to the inner panel along an outer edge. The palmar side panel includes a series of nodules, and the inner panel of each finger element includes a series of prongs. The article further includes an adjustable strap coupled to the palm portion of the glove, where the adjustable strap is configured to be adjustably secured around the wearer's wrist.

In some implementations, the series of nodules includes a thin sheet of material overlaying the palmar side panel and a plurality of nodes coupled to the sheet of material.

In some implementations, the series of prongs includes a thin sheet of material overlaying each finger element and a plurality of tooth-shaped bristles coupled to the sheet of material.

In some implementations, the height of the series of nodules has smaller dimensions than the height of the series of prongs.

In some implementations, the palm portion and the plurality of finger elements are made of any combination of breathable polyester, cloth, cotton, wool, leather, Kevlar, nylon, neoprene, latex.

In some implementations, the palm portion is configured to substantially cover and encapsulate the palm of a wearer's hand.

In some implementations, each finger element is configured to substantially cover and encapsulate a finger of the wearer's hand.

Other devices, apparatus, systems, methods, features and advantages of the disclosure will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present disclosure may be better understood by referring to the following figures. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. In the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a protective hairstyling device worn on the left hand of a wearer in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the palmar side of the protective hairstyling device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of the palmar side of the protective hairstyling device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the palmar side of the protective hairstyling device of FIG. 1, showing the finger stalls.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the dorsal side of the protective hairstyling device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate examples of various implementations of protective hairstyling device configured to like a glove on the wearer's hand. Generally, the device includes a mitt-styled glove having a palm portion and a plurality of finger stalls or elements coupled to the palm portion. The palm portion includes a palmar side panel and a dorsal side panel, where the palmar side panel is coupled to the dorsal side panel along an outer periphery. Each finger element includes an inner finger panel and an outer finger panel, where the inner finger panel is coupled to the outer finger panel along an outer edge. The palmar side panel includes a series of nodules, and the inner finger panel of each finger element includes a series of prongs.

The glove serves as an article of personal protective equipment (PPE) that provides the wearer a protective means to style and massage a person's hair. The series of prongs may be used to detangle and style a person's hair. The series of nodules may be used to massage a person's scalp.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one example of a protective hair styling device 100 according to the teachings of the present disclosure. As shown, the device 100 includes a mitt-styled glove 102 having a palm portion 110, a plurality of finger elements or finger stalls 120, 122, 124, and 126 to receive fingers of the wearer, and a wrist portion 140. A thumb stall 128 is also provided to receive the wearer's thumb.

The exemplary glove 102 is shown for a left human hand. Even though the glove 102 is shown for a left hand, it is realized that a glove for a right hand utilizes symmetrical placement of elements, materials, and the like as those shown for a left-hand glove 102.

The palm portion 110 comprises a hollowed body defining a pocket (not shown) for receiving the palm of a wearer's hand. The palm portion 110 includes a palmar side covering or panel 112 for covering the palm of the wearer's hand. The palmar side panel 112 may be made of a synthetic material such as, for example, breathable polyester, cloth, cotton, wool, leather, Kevlar, nylon, neoprene, latex, or any other suitable material.

The palm portion 110 further includes a dorsal side covering or panel 114 for covering the back side or dorsal side of the wearer's hand. The dorsal side panel 114 may be made of a synthetic material such as, for example, breathable polyester, cloth, cotton, wool, leather, Kevlar, nylon, neoprene, latex, or any other suitable material.

The palmar side panel 112 may be coupled to the dorsal side panel 114 along an outer periphery 116 of the glove 102 by glue, bonding, welding, sewing, or other suitable means. In other implementations, the palmar side panel 112 may be integrally formed with the dorsal side panel 114 to form a continuous material.

Each finger stall 120, 122, 124, and 126 defines a closed-end sleeve for receiving a finger of the wearer's hand. For example, stall 120 is adapted to receive the wearer's index finger, stall 122 is adapted to receive the wearer's long finger, stall 124 is adapted to receive the wearer's ring finger, and stall 126 is adapted to receive the wearer's small finger. Thumb stall 128 is also provided to receive the thumb of the wearer.

Each stall 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128 may include an inner finger covering or panel 130 for covering the palmar side of the wearer's fingers, and an outer finger covering or panel 132 for covering the backside or dorsal side of the wearer's fingers. The inner finger panel 130 and outer finger panel 132 may be made of a synthetic material such as, for example, breathable polyester, cloth, cotton, wool, leather, Kevlar, nylon, neoprene, rubber, latex, or any other suitable material.

The inner finger panel 130 may be coupled to the outer finger panel 132 along the outer periphery 116 of the glove 102 by glue, bonding, welding, sewing, or other suitable means. In other implementations, the inner side panel 130 may be integrally formed with the outer finger panel 132 to form a continuous material.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the palmar side panel 112 may include a plurality of nodules 160 specially arranged in spaced relation along the palmar side panel 112. Similarly, the inner finger panel 130 may include a plurality of tooth-shaped prongs 170 specially arranged in spaced relation along the inner finger panel 130 of the finger stalls 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128.

As shown the FIG. 2, the plurality of nodules 160 includes a first cluster 202 positioned near a thumb region of the palmar side panel 112, a second cluster 204 positioned in a central region of the palmar side panel 112, and a third cluster 206 positioned near the base of the finger stalls.

As best shown in FIG. 3, and depicted by cluster 202, each cluster may include a base sheet 302 of material and a plurality of nodes 304 extending therefrom. The base sheet 302 may comprise a relatively thin and pliable sheet of material that may be coupled to the palmar side panel 112 by glue, bonding, welding, or any other suitable means. The base sheet 302 may be configured to various shapes and configurations to enable the wearer to open and close the palm of their hand with minimal restriction. In particular, the base sheet 302 may be configured to various shapes and lengths corresponding to joint locations in the palm of the hand.

Each node 304 may include a substantially conical-shaped base 310 and an upper stud portion 312. Each node 304 may be constructed to a certain height to stimulate and massage the scalp of the wearer. In certain implementations, the total height of the node may be approximately 0.125 inches.

The nodes 304 may be integrally molded with the base sheet 302. The base sheet 302 and nodes 304 may be made of plastic, rubber, polyvinyl chloride, or other suitable material.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the plurality of prongs 170 includes one or more finger clusters 210, 212, 214 positioned along the length of each finger stall 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128. Each finger cluster 210, 212, 214 may include a base sheet 220 of material and a plurality of tooth-shaped bristle 230 extending therefrom. The base sheet 220 may comprise a relatively thin and pliable sheet of material that may be coupled to the inner finger panel 130 by glue, bonding, welding, or any other suitable means. As better shown in FIG. 4, the base sheet 220 may be configured to various shapes and configurations to enable the wearer to open and close their hand (i.e., permit flexibility of the fingers), while wearing the glove 102, with minimal restriction. In particular, the base sheet 220 may be configured to various shapes and lengths corresponding to joint locations in the fingers.

Each bristle 230 may be constructed to a certain height to detangle, comb, and style the hair of a wearer. It is preferred that the bristles 214 are constructed to a smaller diameter but height longer than the node 304. In certain implementations, the total height of each bristle 230 may be approximately 0.25 inches. Each bristle 230 may be integrally molded with the base sheet 220. The base sheet 220 and bristle 230 may be made of plastic, rubber, polyvinyl chloride, or other suitable material.

Referring back to FIG.1, the wrist portion 140 comprises a hollowed body with a mouth 142 for receiving a wearer's hand. The wrist portion 140 may be made of a synthetic material such as, for example, breathable polyester, cloth, cotton, wool, leather, Kevlar, nylon, neoprene, rubber, latex, or any other suitable material.

Referring now to FIG. 5, once the wearer's hand is placed inside of the glove 102, the wrist portion 140 may be adapted to be secured about the wearer's wrist via a fastening device, such as an adjustable strap 502 having a hook and loop (i.e., Velcro®) fastener, or any other suitable fastening means.

The protective hairstyling device of the present disclosure may have various applications. For example, the glove 102 may be applied to the hair and scalp of a person to detangle, comb, and/or style their hair. The glove 102 also may be used to massage the person's scalp. In other uses, the glove 102 may be used to evenly apply styling gel or hair color to a person's hair.

When, for example, a beautician or hairstylist shampoos or applies chemicals, gels, dyes, or other haircare products to a client's hair and scalp, the chemicals of the haircare products can damage the nails of the stylist. Thus, stylists tend to wear thin disposable gloves when attending to a client's hair. Further, given certain health conditions, it may be preferred or required that hairstylists wear gloves while servicing a client to limit skin contact with their client to prevent, for example, the spread of an infectious disease. The present disclosure serves as personal protective equipment to protect the hair and skin of the customer and stylist from the spread of infectious disease, germs, and viruses, while also serving as a styling device (e.g., a comb for styling a client's hair).

In general, terms such as “coupled to,” and “configured for coupling to,” and “secured to,” and “configured for securing to” and “in communication with” (for example, a first component is “coupled to” or “is configured for coupling to” or is “configured for securing to” or is “in communication with” a second component) are used herein to indicate a structural, functional, mechanical, electrical, signal, optical, magnetic, electromagnetic, ionic or fluidic relationship between two or more components or elements. As such, the fact that one component is said to be in communication with a second component is not intended to exclude the possibility that additional components may be present between, and/or operatively associated or engaged with, the first and second components.

Although the previous description illustrates particular examples of various implementations, the present disclosure is not limited to the foregoing illustrative examples. A person skilled in the art is aware that the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents can be applied in various further implementations and modifications. In particular, a combination of the various features of the described implementations is possible, as far as these features are not in contradiction with each other. Accordingly, the foregoing description of implementations has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above description. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A glove, comprising: a palm portion, the palm portion having a palmar side panel and a dorsal side panel, where the palmar side panel is coupled to the dorsal side panel along an outer periphery; and a plurality of finger elements coupled to the palm portion, each finger element having an inner finger panel and an outer finger panel, where the inner finger panel is coupled to the outer finger panel along an outer edge; where, the palmar side panel including a series of nodules, and the inner finger panel of each finger element including a series of prongs.
 2. The glove of claim 1, where the series of nodules includes a thin sheet of material overlaying the palmar side panel and a plurality of nodes coupled to the sheet of material.
 3. The glove of claim 1, where the series of prongs includes a thin sheet of material overlaying each finger element and a plurality of tooth-shaped bristles coupled to the sheet of material.
 4. The glove of claim 1, where the height of the series of nodules has smaller dimensions than the height of the series of prongs.
 5. The glove of claim 1, where the palm portion and the plurality of finger elements are made of any combination of breathable polyester, cloth, cotton, wool, leather, Kevlar, nylon, neoprene, latex.
 6. The glove of claim 1, where the palm portion is configured to substantially cover and encapsulate the palm of a wearer's hand.
 7. The glove of claim 1, where each finger element is configured to substantially cover and encapsulate a finger of the wearer's hand.
 8. An article of personal protective equipment, comprising: a glove, the glove comprising: a palm portion, the palm portion having a palmar side panel and a dorsal side panel attached to the palmar side panel along an outer periphery, and a plurality of finger elements coupled to the palm portion, each finger element having an inner panel and an outer panel attached to the inner panel along an outer edge; where, the palmar side panel including a series of nodules, and the inner panel of each finger element including a series of prongs; and an adjustable strap coupled to palm portion of the glove, the adjustable strap being configured to be adjustably secured around the wearer's wrist.
 9. The glove of claim 8, where the series of nodules includes a thin sheet of material overlaying the palmar side panel and a plurality of nodes coupled to the sheet of material.
 10. The glove of claim 8, where the series of prongs includes a thin sheet of material overlaying each finger element and a plurality of tooth-shaped bristles coupled to the sheet of material.
 11. The glove of claim 8, where the height of the series of nodules has smaller dimensions than the height of the series of prongs.
 12. The glove of claim 8, where the palm portion and the plurality of finger elements are made of any combination of breathable polyester, cloth, cotton, wool, leather, Kevlar, nylon, neoprene, latex.
 13. The glove of claim 8, where the palm portion is configured to substantially cover and encapsulate the palm of a wearer's hand.
 14. The glove of claim 8, where each finger element is configured to substantially cover and encapsulate a finger of the wearer's hand. 